Google has announced a historic investment of USD 15 billion over five years to build an artificial intelligence (AI) hub and gigawatt scale data center campus in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. It will be Google’s largest investment in India to date and its biggest AI facility outside the United States.
Key Features of the Project
- Location & Scale: The facility will be built in Visakhapatnam, a major port city in Andhra Pradesh. It will start with a 1 gigawatt computing capacity, with plans to scale up to multiple gigawatts.
- Time Frame: The investment will roll out from 2026 to 2030, marking a long term commitment to India’s growing digital infrastructure.
- Partnerships: Google is collaborating with Adani Group and Bharti Airtel. AdaniConneX will assist in building data infrastructure, while Airtel will manage connectivity and networking.
- Infrastructure & Connectivity: The project includes a new subsea gateway for international cables, expanded fiber optic networks, and large scale energy systems to power the campus.
Economic & Job Impacts
- The hub is expected to create over 180,000 jobs directly and indirectly, across construction, data operations, cloud services and logistics.
- It will strengthen India’s position as a global AI and cloud computing center, benefiting startups, tech companies, and research institutions.
- The move is also expected to accelerate AI adoption among Indian enterprises and promote digital transformation across multiple sectors, including finance, Education and Healthcare.
Context & Strategic Importance
- Google described the project as a “generational shift” in AI capacity for India, emphasizing its potential to advance digital inclusion and innovation.
- The investment aligns with India’s national vision of becoming a global technology powerhouse, amid surging demand for AI and data services.
- The Visakhapatnam campus will also support data sovereignty, ensuring local data storage and compliance with Indian privacy laws.
What to Watch
- The speed of land acquisition, environmental clearance, and infrastructure development.
- Integration of clean energy sources to reduce carbon footprint.
- Impact on local employment, skills training and regional development.
- Timelines for the first phase becoming operational and how Google manages India’s rapidly growing AI demand.
